If you’re an Instagram user, you’ve probably been able to download Threads, Meta’s newest app, poised to become Twitter’s biggest competitor. When it went live in the US on July 5, 2023, it achieved 10 million sign-ups within seven hours of its launch and gained 30 million users worldwide in less than 24 hours.
Meant to be a companion app to Instagram, Threads looks eerily like Twitter, from its layout to its features. Because of this, Meta’s latest offering was welcomed by many Twitter users, especially those who were disappointed with the new direction the platform was taking, including the imposition of temporary limits on how many tweets people could read while using the app. Curiously, Threads was launched ahead of schedule and just a few days after this Twitter feature was introduced.
How do you use Threads, and does it match up to its competitor? We break down the app’s features and similarities and differences with the little blue bird.
What is Threads?
From the App Store
According to Meta, it’s “an app built by the Instagram team for sharing with text.” Threads, like Twitter, is meant to be a space for real-time updates and public conversations online. On its product description, it’s described as a place where communities come together to “discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow.” You can follow and connect with friends and creators who share your interests, including those who already follow you on Instagram.
How to sign up on Threads
Meta has closely linked Instagram and Threads, so you’ll need an Instagram account to log in. You can use the same username and verification process, with an option to customize your profile specifically for Threads.
What are the similarities and differences between Threads and Twitter?
From Meta
Threads’ user interface is almost identical to Twitter, but with a minimalistic black-and-white feed. Posts have a 500-character limit, and you can reply, love, quote, and comment on other people’s “threads.” You can also include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length in your posts. There are no read limits on Threads, whether you’re verified or not.
Courtesy of Meta
Unlike Twitter, however, your feed will be populated by people you follow, “along with recommended content from new creators you haven’t discovered yet,” according to Meta. There is also no option to direct message or DM other users.
Does Threads have features that Twitter doesn’t?
Courtesy of Meta
With Threads being closely integrated with Instagram, the app contains similar features, like adding hidden words to filter out replies to your threads that contain those specific words. You can also control who can mention you or reply to you within Threads. Users you’ve blocked on Instagram will also automatically be blocked on Threads. Another feature is the ability to share Threads directly to your Instagram Stories.
Screenshot from Threads Official Instagram
If you decide to delete your Threads profile, you’ll find that there isn’t actually an option for it—unless you also decide to delete your Instagram account. Instead, you can deactivate your profile, which in effect, hides your threads, replies, and likes. Deactivating Threads will not impact your Instagram account.
As Threads is still in its early stages, Instagram’s developers have promised to add more features in the coming days, including a following feed, an edit button, a chronological feed, and making recommendations more personalized. If you want to check the app out, download it today with your fiber-fast internet on Google Play Store and the App Store.
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